My dark dreams scatter across asphalt streets. Rain splashes
ebony ink, winds snarling my damp hair. My mind in knots
and snags. Throat dry raw as I step over cobblestones.
It follows me, this long shadow, waiting to cover me,
to encompass me.
Now I am passing a field. My worn shoes sink into moist grounds.
The soil offers up scents of mild vegetation, promises of spring.
Gusts tangle trees, calls from lost trains resound through night.
It follows me, this long shadow, waiting to cover me,
to encompass me.
I keep climbing a hill. My mind twisted into knots. How can
I breathe? White walls meet me head-on.
The rough concrete presses my fingers as I push in.
Following me again, covering me, swallowing me
into this black heart of night.
Joan McNerney
Joan McNerney’s poetry is published worldwide in over thirty-five countries in numerous literary magazines. Four Best of the Net nominations have been awarded to her. The Muse in Miniature, Love Poems for Michael, and At Work are available on Amazon.com. A new title Light & Shadows has recently been released.